Summary
We’re all ultimately charged with making our products as useful and beloved as possible, but in order to do that, researchers must widen the aperture of user research. Usability, user journeys, and the like are critical, but the reality is that wider cultural factors provide the filter through which people experience your product. We need to dedicate more attention to how wider cultural factors shape what people need from a product experience—the dialogue between the wide and the narrow apertures are crucial to creating beloved, essential products. In this talk, Neil Barrie, Co-Founder and CEO of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, shares his perspectives on research’s role in helping companies build deeper, meaningful relationships with customers based on his work building the brands of the likes of Airbnb, Pinterest, Headspace, Pepsico, Monzo and Bumble. His talk will address: How culture is the lens through which people experience products Why products are the catalyst to purpose, facilitating behavior changes that can take marketing years to achieve What we can learn from insider cases of culturally driven UX innovation from leading unicorns like Flo Health, Pinterest and Airbnb
Key Insights
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User research often limits itself to tactical user-product pain points but gains more value when expanded to include cultural context.
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Culture is defined as shared values, beliefs, and interests that deeply influence people's perceptions and product experiences.
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Integrating culture into user research creates a stronger connection between brand and product, making them two sides of the same coin.
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Differentiation in user experience can be enhanced by weaving in cultural narratives without increasing cognitive load.
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The triple win cultural role requires alignment among company commitment, user needs, and wider cultural tensions.
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Successful brands like Pinterest and Flow Health embed cultural roles to drive innovation, growth, and societal impact.
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Triangulating product research with macro cultural inputs, such as third-party data and emerging trend analysis, leads to sharper focus.
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Focusing on edge-case personas rather than generalized middle personas can spark breakthrough insights and innovations.
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Overlaying cultural factors on user journey maps uncovers new opportunities and deepens understanding of user contexts.
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Culturally resonant products can shortcut to usefulness and influence society at speeds governments cannot match.
Notable Quotes
"We are at an inflection point where what got us here won't get us to a thriving future."
"Culture is the most influential factor impacting people's perceptions and values today."
"Brand and product become two sides of the same coin when user insights have a seat at the top table."
"Bumble’s single feature of women making the first move addressed a huge cultural challenge and lifted the brand."
"You get to those iconic signature actions when product excellence meets cultural tensions and what people need."
"Triple win cultural roles speak to what a company commits to, what users need, and wider cultural tensions."
"Starting with specific, meaningful priority communities rather than homogenized personas leads to powerful breakthroughs."
"Overlaying cultural dialogue on journey maps reveals impactful insights that need to be validated but are promising."
"Culturally resonant experiences can influence society in ways governments only dream of, with velocity and speed."
"You have the power, like Navy Seals of user research, to influence the biggest issues of our time, one interaction at a time."
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